AFTER YESTERDAY’S SHOCK sacking of popular manager Chris Hughton, Mike Ashley is determined to appoint a successor by the weekend.

Former Aston Villa and Celtic boss Martin O’Neill is said to be his preferred choice – but with the new coach likely to be hampered by strict financial guidelines, the Derry-native may not fancy it.

Ex-Spurs manager Martin Jol – who quit as Ajax coach yesterday -  as well as Alan Pardew and Alan Curbishley are also firmly in the frame.

Magpies legend Alan Shearer, who brought the club down to the Championship, has also been linked but former teammate and good friend Rob Lee says the big No 9 wouldn’t fancy it. Lee said:

Nothing surprises me in football, but that would. I think Alan would love to do it, I think he would still love to be involved in football management.

But when they have come out with the statement they want experience, it’s probably the only thing he hasn’t got.

Peter Beardsley, the reserve team manager, has been given temporary charge of team affairs ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.

Beardsley and Lee’s old teammate Lee Clark has dismissed any link with the job.

He has dedicated his future to Huddersfield and is hoping to steer them out of npower League One. He told the Huddersfield Examiner: “If there is speculation, it is not of my making: “I’m fully committed to my job here.”

Earlier, the League Managers’ Association condemned Hughton’s dismissal.

Richard Bevan, LMA chief executive said

The LMA is extremely disappointed that Newcastle have parted company with Chris given the success the club has experienced since his appointment.

Not only did Chris secure promotion back to the Barclays Premier League, but achieved two club records in the process; 102 points to secure promotion and the longest sequence of unbeaten league matches (17).

Throughout his time at Newcastle, Chris has conducted himself with tremendous integrity and dignity, the team’s current position of 11th demonstrating the stabilising effect Chris has had in his role as manager during his period at Newcastle.

And yesterday’s announcement was met with bafflement by veteran defender Sol Campbell, who told ESPN Soccernet: “This will hit the players hard. The players admired him and liked him and won’t be happy now he’s gone like this.” He added:

It makes no sense. Here is a guy who has done an unbelievable job. He got the club back into the Premier League and any manager would have been rewarded for that with a new contract, but Chris wasn’t.

The players are sure to be asking themselves ‘what the hell is going on?’, that is only natural. When we left training on Monday morning none of the players had a clue this was coming.

Yes, it has come as a shock, and it will affect the dressing room there is no doubt about that.